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Most promoters are lucky if their night lasts longer than a month; they are even luckier if the night is packed and continues for a year. The Tronic Treatment folks must have luck in spades, because their weekly got to be too big for its britches. The techno soldiers have hauled their event from the cozy (cramped?) confines of Guernica's basement to the more spacious Baktun across town. This week, Soma Records' Funk D'Void does the headlining honors. Monday @ 10, Baktun, 418 W 14th, 206-1590. An all-local Tronic bash also takes place at the newly renovated and renamed club Shelter. Who needs big-name out-of-towners when you've got a lineup like this: Christian Smith, John Selway, Francis Harris and Alexi Delano. Together they spin all sides of the techno kaleidoscope-from hard, trancey techno to deep, minimal house. With Randy Pence. Friday @ 10, Shelter, 20 W 39th, 719-9867.

More techno and minimal house comes courtesy of the Temple Records crew with their new party, Peripheral. The whole gang is there, including Plexus, Ulysses, Malik, Cem Salman, Erhan, and Burchan. These are the boys that sell you all those damn good records, so you know they've got good cuts in their bags. Alas, Temple may not be around after the end of March, so get your fix while it lasts. Thursday @ 10, Coz, 511 E 6th, 475-7552, www.temple-records.com.

And now for something different: I am admittedly hip-hop retarded (which is why you don't see much of it in this space), but I am not so far gone that I don't know that the Beat Down Open MPC Battle at the Nuyorican Poets Café is a slam dunk for aspiring producers. Hosted by Mike G, this contest selects ten aspiring beatmasters for a chance to show off their skills. Sign up is at 8:30. Entries must be on Zip 100 or floppy disk. For inspiration, DJs Eli, Earl Blaze (from Anti-Pop Consortium), the Bronx Monks, and Boo present some of their handiwork in a special showcase. Tuesday @ 8:30, Nuyorican Poet's Café, 236 E 3rd, 917-460-0691, nycbeatdown.com.

tromano@villagevoice.com